


The Start of An Era

by Crazy_panda_25



Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: Chapter 3 now up, Family, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, In the best possible way, Nathan doesn't know whether to trust him yet, Nathan is a smart-alec, Set after the flashback in UC3, Sully loves it, Sully's trying to gain Nathan's trust, Trust, Young!Sully, he'll get there, trust building, young!Nathan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-03
Updated: 2018-08-08
Packaged: 2019-06-21 06:18:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15551514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crazy_panda_25/pseuds/Crazy_panda_25
Summary: Set just after the flashback scene in UC3, Sully tries to gain the trust of Nathan as best he can, but it's not easy. Nathan is stubbornly untrusting. Can Sully manage to break down the kid's walls?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This has been done a million times I bet but I wanted to write my spin on it. Hope you enjoy!

Seeing a kid, a fourteen year old kid, act like a scared rabbit ready to bolt at any given time, tugs at Sully's heart strings in a way he'd never felt before. He's never liked children, too loud in an obnoxious sort of way, which is probably why he'd never given them a second thought. Before now that is.

Nathan, Nathan is different. He's the opposite of obnoxiously loud, preferring to quietly draw in his notebook than talk too much and, when he does talk, it isn't pointless babble but carefully constructed sentences usually filled with mind blowing facts that only fully trained historians would know. Either that or some clever witty wisecrack. This kid seems to move something out of place in Sully's mind as soon as they met.

"Where you living anyway, kid?" Sully asks, leaning back in his chair, Nathan's plate long finished and forgotten in a flurry of chat about Sir Francis Drake and his impressive journey that just doesn't add up.

Nathan's raises his eyebrows, looking up from his notebook, "that's a bit of a creepy question, isn't it, Sullivan?"

Sully rolls his eyes, "stop with the wiseass comments, kid. You must have someone that's worried about your whereabouts?"

"Doubt it, unless your on about the men in the market, I think they're anxious to find out who stole their..." Nathan cuts himself off mid-sentence at Sully's expression, "no, no one is pacing the hallway waiting anxiously for my return if that's what you're asking."

Sully frowns, taking a long intake of his cigar, turning to his side to blow it out, "come on then, my hotel room it is," when Nathan gives him an incredulous, defensive look, he adds, "I'm not leaving you on your own. It's dangerous around here, especially on the streets, and I'm not convinced you aren't hurt from your encounter with Marlowe's men."

"I do alright alone," Nathan mutters, pocketing his notebook and standing up, eyeing Sully carefully as though he's looking for something while getting ready to bolt any second if he finds it. Whatever it was he was looking for, he doesn't find it.

In his many years Sully's seen a lot of emotions on people's faces. Anger? Frequently. Suspicion? Almost every job. Fear? Rarely but sometimes. He usually prides himself with his ability to read people, but this teenager is a closed book, keeping a blank face while locking his eyes on Sully every moment. It's as though he's not convinced he's not about to pull a gun on him any minute. Sully can't really blame him, something tells him life has never been easy for this untrusting teen.

 

After a brief cab ride, they finally arrive at a tall, looming building. Exiting the cab, Nathan scans his surroundings carefully, obviously on the look out for any danger. Thoughtlessly Sully places his hand on Nathan's shoulder to guide him towards the building. As soon as he does it, he knows he's overstepped the mark. Nathan flinches, violently pushing Sully away in an attempt of forcing distance between them. Sully holds up his hands in a silent apology, nodding towards the building and leading the way, hoping the kid is following.

If anyone finds it odd that a middle aged man is taking an unruly looking teenage boy into a single bedded hotel room, no one speaks up in concern.

It's only when they get to the room that Sully realises how unthought through his 'plan' is. Get the kid to the room, give him somewhere safe for the night and then what? Nathan is on edge every second with him now, so how would the kid trust him enough to sleep in a room with him next door?

"It's not very big but it does it's job," Sully states, entering the room and depositing his old green jacket on the back of the worn sofa.

Nathan sniggers, casting his eyes around the room while standing awkwardly in the doorway, "that sounds like euphemism, Sullivan. "

Sully huffs out a laugh at Nathan's quip, "I said you can call me Sully, Nate."

Nathan fixes him with a hard stare, "No...you said your 'friends' call you 'Sully', I still can't tell what you want from me."

Sully lets out a slow breath, trying to break this teenager's barriers is going to be a hard job, "I told you, I see great things in our future, kid, and neither of us can do it alone. I need a partner, someone I can trust to work with me and not stab me in the back."

Nathan looks confused for a second before a cocky smirk brightens up his hard features, "and you think I'm that person?"

Does he? Sully isn't sure. He's never been able to take to people quickly, always suspicious about their motivation but somehow this is different. There is something about Nate that he feels he can trust.

Maybe it had been that raw fear that had transformed the previously cocky exterior of the boy or the quick, smart mind that revealed the boy's deep passion of things beyond his age. Whatever it was, it made Sully sure that there is much more to the boy than meets the eye. But does he trust him? For some reason, the answer is yes.

"Yes, Nate, I think you are. You've got skills and I can help you use them," Sully states, moving towards the kitchen area to open the mini-fridge and take out a bear bottle from it, "I'd offer you a drink but..."

"...I'm a kid. You sound like..." Nathan cuts himself off sharply, gritting his teeth. Sully is tempted to ask what he was going to say but he decides against it. People are entitled to their secrets, privacy is important. Nathan moves his weight from foot to foot, eyes focuses on the floor, obviously thinking, "I can't pay you back...for any of this. Not now anyway, but if you've got any jobs you want doing...I can help. I've got skills, like you said and..."

Sully looks at the boy alarmed, he hadn't been expecting that. His eye glide, searchingly, over the teenagers face trying to work out what's running through his head. Paying him back had never even crossed Sully's mind, Nathan looked like he could do with a square meal and he could make that happen. So he did. Despite being in this job a very long time, Sully has never come across a kid as young as Nate in the business let alone full of the opinion no one does anything for nothing. It gives him the impression that this isn't the beginning of his entanglements, not even close.

"Woah, woah, kid. You don't need to pay me back for anything," Sully answers, his naturally baritone, gruff voice, turning soft, "not everyone does things for what they get in return."

Nathan laughs briefly, humourlessly, "yeah, right. Listen, Sullivan, I know how this works. You save my ass and I pay you back, in anyway possible. No questions asked. Don't insult my intelligence by denying that."

Sully narrows his eyes at the boy. It's becoming clear that the teen has been without safety way too long for a someone his age, "You're a clever kid, Nate, and I won't deny that you aren't wrong. People don't do much for free these days, christ I don't usually, but I didn't help you for what I can get out of it."

Nathan nods, the movement slow. It's unclear to Sully whether the sluggish movement is from suspicion or the undoubtably tiredness the boy must be carrying after today.

Sully surveys his situation carefully. He's got a meeting with an important client tomorrow, which, if all goes well, will set him up for another job the day after. He won't lie that he could do with a second man on the job should it go wrong but would it be wise to bring the kid into more dodgy situations? Looking at the kid now, he's not too sure.

"You can relax, kid. You're safe here," Sully reassures, echoing his previous words, motioning to the sofa, "and sit down, you're making the place look untidy."

Nathan nods, walking hesitantly to the sofa and placing himself down on it, while taking out his notebook and scribbling something down. He's taken his eyes off Sully, which seems to be progress of sorts. He obviously doesn't trust him yet though as he's still defensive in posture and his eyes keep drifting to the door keeping his escape route open.

"There's a shower through there, use it anytime..." Sully cuts himself off, noticing Nathan's concentration on his notebook.

"I'm listening," Nathan says, biting the end of his pencil thoughtfully, "partially anyway."

Sully shakes his head, walking round the back of the sofa to sit on the chair that is placed a few feet to the right of it. Nathan tenses as he passes behind him, his mind clearly racing with thoughts of how to protect himself from Sully if needs be. Despite wanting to reassure the kid, he says nothing. Ignorance is bliss, isn't that what everyone says?

There is a brief stint of silence before Sully leans forwards to grab the remote from the table and turns the ancient TV on.

"Not very much to watch on a Thursday night but I'm sure you can find something," Sully offers, placing the remote on the sofa next to Nathan, "I would offer you the bed but...that would be a bit...so the sofa will have to do, kid. I'm off to bed."

Nathan nods. As he leaves the room, Sully can feel the boy's eyes track him carefully.

 

***

 

Nathan holds back a quip about the man's age as he walks from the room. He's trying his hardest to keep his guard up right now, to protect himself at all costs but there is something about this 'Sully' bloke with the big moustache that he's coming to trust. As much as someone can trust a strange middle aged man that's putting a roof over his head, anyway.

As soon as he hears the telltale sound of the bedroom door closing, Nathan's up from the sofa in a flash. His eyes quickly scan the room for any sign of threat or potential weapons before heading quietly to the door. Making as little noise as possible, he opens and closes the door behind him.

Despite only being there about an hour or less ago, Nathan can't remember the lobby of the hotel looking as shady as it does now. It's almost enough to make him turn around and re-enter the room. Almost. He takes a quick note of Sullivan's room number in his notebook before slipping it back into his bag and setting off down the stairs, ignoring the strong smell of tobacco and alcohol that stains the thick air.

A lengthy run and some easy building jumping later, he arrives at his destination. The tall, derelict house looms over him. The roof is almost gone, having caved in on one side while the other side looks on the edge of following it any minute, the walls aren't much better. It's certainly not 5 stars but it's somewhere....safe? For lack of a better word. Sam and him have been occupying this place for a while now, since they had run out of money for the 'hotel' they were staying at a few months back, although it had served as nothing but a place to sleep and store their few important items.

Nathan lets out a shaky sigh, trying to push away the nagging feeling of loneliness while grabbing Sam's old, worn bag from the floor. It's slightly bigger than Nathan's own. It doesn't take long for their few items to be safely packed in the two small bag and Sam's denim jacket to be placed around Nathan's shoulders securely. He hesitates briefly before slinging the bag over the opposite shoulder to his own bag and standing up, doing a mental check to make sure he hasn't forgotten anything.

"Sam's either gonna thank me or kill me when he gets out," Nathan mutters to himself, quietly, "Jesus Christ, Nate, you're trusting a middle aged man that you've only just met. The latter is probably more likely." It's not like he's got much choice.

Shaking his head, Nathan jumps up to the window ledge swinging himself out of it and landing easily on the ground outside. His legs feel heavy as he jogs across the roofs of the buildings to get back to the shady hotel, wondering briefly whether he's putting too much trust in a man who could be about to stab him in the back. Literally. Maybe it's a bad idea trusting this man but he hasn't got much choice with Sam in prison and little to no money to his name.

 

***

 

Sully would never admit the worry he felt when he had heard the hotel door shut behind Nathan, but it was definitely there. Despite knowing he has little to no right to be worried about a kid that he met merely hours before, Sully finds himself sitting on the uncomfortable chair, watching a Spanish commentated football game he doesn't understand while waiting in hope the teenager will appear at the door once again.

The sound of the door opening to reveal a tired but visibly unhurt Nathan with another small backpack over his shoulder, causes a flood of relief to flow through Sully. When Nathan catches sight of him, he jumps, straight on the defensive once again.

"I...eh...thought you were going to bed," Nathan asks, pushing the door shut behind him without taking his eyes off Sully.

"And I though you were going to stay here without sneaking out but I guess we were both wrong, weren't we?" Sully answers, sitting back in the chair.

Nathan rolls his eyes, a real show of a teenage attitude that Sully has rarely seen him display, "sorry, I was under the impression that I wasn't obligated to stay here nor was I aware you were my dad."

Sully shakes his head, "Goddamnit, kid. A quick warning that you were going out wouldn't have hurt. What've you got in that bag anyway?"

If he hadn't watched the kid shake like a leaf and struggle to aim while point a gun at a man who would never have hesitated to pull the trigger, Sully might have been worried about what the bag contains. Nathan doesn't reply for a second, his eyebrows furrowed in thought, before gently removing the said bag from his shoulder and taking out the contents.

"I just went back to our...my 'place' to get a few thing...," Nathan arches his fingers around the word 'place', Sully dreads to think what conditions he's been living in.

Sully watches as the boy empties the bag as though at airport customs. There isn't much there at all, two history books, an old tin water bottle, a grappling hook and a white bound journal with the letters csm on the front. He briefly wonders whether Nathan owns anything else other than what is placed between them right now, somehow he doubts it.

"Do I want to know what your 'place' looks like?" Sully inquires, biting the end of a cigar thoughtfully. When Nathan merely shrugs, he adds, "I'll take that as a no then."

Nathan smiles fleetingly, "nah, probably not. I'm a street urchin remember, live off what I can find."

It's said as a joke but Sully can sense some underlying truth in it. How can a kid end up in a situation like this? No family, no home and a dangerous willingness to lay down his life for a ring that nearly ended his short life. How he's survived this long is a mystery to Sully, it's a very dangerous world for a kid. Nathan must have seen or sensed a hint of pity radiating off him because his shoulders tense, stiffening defensively and his hand sweeps the hair from his face.

"Enough about that, Sullivan. I wanted to ask you about a job. You said I have skills that you could help me use, well do that. Be my mentor or whatever you'd call it," Nathan says, his voice determined, unwavering but with a hint of uncertainty.

Sully raises his eyebrows and nods, "now that you mention it, I've got a meeting with a client tomorrow about an artefact he wants me to obtain, all going well, the job will be set for the day after. Low risk but I could do with a partner to back me up. Good start don't you think."

Nathan brightens at the word artefact, clearly intrigued at the notion of learning something new about a historical item.

"Get some sleep, kid. We've got a big day in the morning," Sully says, getting up and walking to the bedroom door like he'd done before, "you aren't going to do another disappearing act, are you?"

Nathan shakes his head, sitting himself down on the sofa with a tired sigh before curling himself up in a ball to sleep. Sully nods, switching the TV off and leaving the boy alone.

Sully makes a promise to himself then and there. He will do anything in his power to keep this kid safe for as long as he is able. Because Nathan Drake doesn't deserve the hand he's been dealt and he'll be damned if he lets him throw his life away for nothing. 

 


	2. Chapter 2

In the two months they're known one another, a lot has changed for both of them. Nathan no longer feels the need to watch Sully with suspicion every second they are in the same room, contending himself with scribbling in his notebook and making witty quips when Sully says something he finds funny. However, he still refuses to call him 'Sully', sticking with Sullivan or rarely Victor.

Sully has come to learn Nathan's barriers while they have traveled from place to place in together, namely that family is a no go conversation and sudden movements towards him can sometimes startle the boy, raising his walls immediately so avoiding that is recommended. He's also learnt that Nathan can speak four languages almost fluently even excluding Latin, which Nathan claims nobody speaks.

The boy's good at what he does, Sully learns this quite quickly on the jobs they take together. In-depth knowledge of artefacts, ruins and ancient historical builds roll easily off his tongue, along with words like 'architecture', 'authentic' and 'manuscript' as though this concept is second nature to him. Not only that, he's an expert at climbing. Nathan can be up and over a wall before Sully can even suggest finding a different way around. The only problem is the kid is sometimes very impulsive, which can get him into trouble but that's something they can work on.

"You did well, boy-o, but you've still got a lot to learn," Sully praises, steering Nathan out of the seedy looking bar with a guiding hand on his shoulder.

Nathan nods, making a face, "yeah, yeah. You said. I'm depending too much on luck not strategy, I get it."

"Hmm," Sully agrees, while taking a long intake of his cigar.

"You'll set your moustache alight if you're not careful," Nathan remarks, his cocky smirk appearing. The kid isn't a fan of smoking as it seems.

Sully laughs, squeezing the kids shoulder good-naturedly, feeling a wave of accomplishment when Nathan hardly even tenses up at his touch. They're definitely getting somewhere.

"How do you feel about a trip to the USA?" Sully says, suddenly. Nathan looks conflicted, slowing down their pace to a steady walk, which is probably not advisable as the town matches the bar

"USA?" Nathan looks like seven different emotions are fighting for dominance on his usually closed off face, but Sully can see one thing, the boy is torn between trusting Sully with a piece of information or not, "I've not entirely been...truthful?"

Sully glances at the kid, eyebrows knitted together, "Go on?"

"I... You know what, never mind. It isn't important," Nathan says, his mind obviously seeing no reason to share that information. Yet anyway, "USA sounds good. When are we leaving?"

Sully nods, fighting temptation to push the kid for the information he nearly shared. What wasn't he being exactly truthful about? He holds his tongue, opting for preventing the kid from breaking down their carefully built trust.

"Tonight, if all goes well. Tomorrow morning at the latest," Sully answers, speeding up their pace as they approach at the hotel they're staying at, "no time like the present."

Nathan grins, nodding, "are you gonna tell me what the job is or not?"

"Don't you trust me?"

"More or less," Nathan answers, smirking at the on going inside joke that has managed to stick with them in the two months they've worked together.

Sully chuckles, "good because you're going to need to..."

The spend the rest of the walk and some of the night working out the logistics of the 'trip' while Sully explains the job that they will be doing once they get there. One of his clients has requested he (and his new 'protégé') helps them on a theft job, involving stealing a 16th century necklace from a high-security museum. Nothing they can't handle.

 

****

 

As it turns out, Victor Sullivan's meaning of a trip to the USA is a ride in his very own plane that has been stored in a hanger not too far from the city. Nathan's first reaction had been one of a normal teen: pure excitement and admiration, followed quickly by his logical concern at Sullivan's ability to fly a plane. He's seen him drive a car and he's not too keen to get in a plane with him driving.

Nathan tries not to dwell on the fact he almost told Sullivan about Sam, wondering slightly why he nearly chose to reveal that information so quickly. Going to the USA is good though, Sam's in prison here. Saves a whole lot of work smuggling himself back like he'd done to get to Colombia when he'd caught wind of the ring's whereabouts.

Anyway, back to the issue at hand.

"You've got a pilot's license, right?" Nathan questions, watching Sullivan throw 'their' bags into the back of the red and white plane rather messily, "I'm not getting into that thing if you're winging it."

Sullivan snorts, "relax, Nate. I've got a licence, now come on."

"And there's parachutes?" Nathan presses, gripping his bag strap with his old things in it without moving.

"Well..."

"Oh crap..."

 

****

 

It turns out that Nathan thinks his flying 'isn't half bad' but he's adamant that they purchase some parachutes before they get in it ever again. Sully just rolls his eyes, nodding to appease the fourteen year olds concern. Where you go about purchasing parachutes is beyond Sully.

"Quite the nice place," Nathan comments, leaning on a railing and looking over the dulling city in appreciation, "who did you say gave you the information for this job?"

"I didn't," Sully answers, clicking through his mobile phone before holding it to his ear, motioning for Nathan to be quiet when he tries to interrupt, "yeah--it's Sullivan--yes, him--no--yes, how..?--okay, where're we meeting?--fine, okay--till then, bye.

Nathan rolls his eyes, busying himself drawing a sketch of the elegant view in his notebook, while Sully ends the conversation. Sully watches him from the corner of his eye, it's very rare to see the teenager look so relaxed.

He's looking down at his notebook, his eyes narrowed in unwavering concentration with his pencil moving over the paper with careful delicacy. There's no defensive stance or constant scanning the area for danger. This, Sully muses, is how a teenager should behave, no troubles, no fear. He lowers the phone when the line goes dead, pocketing it safely.

"Well?" Nathan inquires, not looking up.

"Old navy pal, got me in touch with a mr Fitzepatric," Sully responds, leaning on the fence beside his protégé, "wants to meet us tonight to discuss layouts and the plan. He wants us to steal that necklace tomorrow night at the latest."

Nathan nods, putting his pencil between the pagers and snapping his notebook shut, "better get moving then. Hotel or do you want lunch first?"

"Hotel. We can eat after the meeting, unless you're hungry?" Sully answers, biting on the end of his cigar.

Nathan shakes his head, slowly, "nah. Come on." The kid swings himself over the fence and skilfully climbs down to the floor below.

Sully huffs out a laugh, "calm down, Spider-Man. They build stairs for a reason, you know."

Nathan grins, rolling his eyes humorously, "just 'cause you can't do that, old man."

"Hey! Enough of the old, kid," Sully grumbles, smiling to himself at the kid's youthful antics as he descends the stairs.

Nathan balances himself on a wall, while walking towards the older man cockily, "what are you then? Elderly?" With a easy laugh, he jumps down to the ground below, landing in a low crouch.

Sully laughs, shaking his head. He loves it when the kid acts like this. His obvious free boyish humor and wit on full show with no defensive facade covering it from sight. It reminds Sully that Nathan is indeed a young teenager with (hopefully) his whole life ahead of him. This doesn't happen often, Nathan rarely lets his barriers drop, still not entirely trusting of his older counterpart. They're getting there though, slowly.

"Oh, we've got a comedian, have we," Sully counters, finally joining Nathan on the ground floor, "good landing, kid."

Nathan doesn't answer, but Sully can see the silent pride light up his face from being praised. As they start walking towards the city, Sully mentally calculates the time they have before the meeting. Just under 2 hours. Shit, not long then.

They soon arrive at a cheap hotel, not as shady as most of the hotels they've stayed at but still a fair stretch from fancy. Nathan rolls his eyes, leaning on the stair rail waiting, when Sully shamelessly flirts with the woman at the desk. She giggles at the attention, passing him their key with a flutter of makeup coated eyelashes.

"She's young enough to be your daughter!" Nathan explains, putting emphasis on the word 'daughter', when they are alone making their way to the room, "it's weird."

Sully chuckles, "you'll understand when your older, kid. Anyway some woman like an older man."

Nathan just shakes his head at his mentor's words, focusing on checking the doors for their room number. 17. It only takes them a few minutes to find it.

Inside there's two double beds and an ancient TV set that looks like it must be much older than Nathan. The room's relatively small, with a link-on tiny bathroom, but it's all the two really need. Sully watches Nathan sit himself down on the nearest bed to the door, mentally sighing at the subtle show of mistrust that Nathan still carries with him like armour. The kid lays himself back against the wooden head board, his notebook out in front of him once again.

"What you drawing there, kid?" Sully inquires, testing the waters to see how Nathan will react to the question and encouraging the kid to let him in.

Nathan glances up at him briefly, eyes sharp but lacking the fierce defensive distrust it once held when on him. His gaze flickers between his notebook and Sully for a fleeting moment before he yields and passes the notebook to him. Sully smiles at him, reassuringly, before taking the book from him.

The page it's open on displays an almost flawless drawing of the city as they'd seen it before. It's clearly been done quickly, shading not fully complete in some parts while others are detailed with accuracy you'd usually only see on a professional drawing. If Sully didn't know any better he'd say the kid could never have drawn this. He looks back at Nathan, who's watching him anxiously, and silently asks permission to look back in the notebook to which Nathan nods hesitately.

Reassured by the kid's small nod, he flicks through the pages of the notebook. Some have writing that he skips past and doesn't read, knowing that Nathan might not want him to. There's many drawings, some half finished, some sketched hurriedly and some drawn with a careful hand. Most are of animals, landmarks or ancient artefacts, but some are of people, drawn with a haste that makes it clear to Sully they have little to no significance. Just people passing by.

"They're just sketches," Nathan speaks up, watching Sully carefully, "mainly from when I'm on the road or traveling. It helps keep my memories of adventures fresh."

Sully nods, flicking back to the page Nathan had been on and passing the notebook back, "there's some pretty good drawings in there. Ever thought of sacking this job off and becoming an artist?"

Nathan huffs out a laugh, sliding his notebook in his bag, "There's nothing more thrilling than hurriedly jotting down a clue while hiding from museum guards, where's the fun in sitting at a table quietly drawing while focusing on accuracy?"

"That's fair," Sully agrees, dumping his bag on the other bed and checking the clock, "goddamnit, we need to get going, boy-o, or we'll be late."

"Fashionably late's good, ain't it? Keeps them guessing," Nathan jokes, brushing his fringe from his forehead and jumping up from the bed.

"It also loses you clients so I don't recommend that," Sully answers, shaking his head with a smirk.

 

****

 

Nathan walks next to Sullivan with a solid mask of unwavering confidence as they enter the bar. His eyes drift overt he room, surveying the faces while waiting for his mentor to take them to the person they are meant to be meeting. Mr Fitzepatric wasn't it? Sullivan places his hand on his shoulder, steering him to a table with a man idly playing with his pint glass. Nathan doesn't tense up at the contact, letting his growing trust for the older man overwrite his learnt instincts.

"Mr Fitzepatic?" Sullivan inquires, holding his hand out to the man, who gladly takes it with a charming grin.

"Indeed. Sullivan, I take it?" Mr Fitzepatric answers, a southern British accent colouring his voice, "and this is the protégé..."

"Nathan, Nathan Drake," Nathan fills in, copying Sullivan and holding his hand out, pulling it back awkwardly when the man doesn't take it.

"Bit younger than I though he'd be if I'm honest, Victor," Mr Fitzepatric comments, looking at Sullivan and pointedly ignoring Nathan, "and you say he can be of help?"

"Nate's good at what he does, Fitzepatric," Sullivan replies, firmly, Nathan feels a swell of pride at the praise, "I can guarantee you won't find a better climber in the business."

The man nods, still looking unsure, before cautiously pulling out some old papers from his bag and spreading them on the table. Nathan's eyes scan the papers in front of them, instinctively translating the Latin written on one of them.

"It's a simple job, Victor. This is a..."

"...Gold encrusted 16th century necklace with what looks to be real small sapphires and rubies placed in a detailed pattern as the center piece," Nathan interrupts him, moving the picture to look closer, "by the date and design I'd say it belonged to a person of royalty or maybe even a high class woman..."

He pauses in his analyse when he notices both Sullivan's and Fitzepatric's eyes on him. They have similar expressions but you can clearly pick out the pride in Sullivan's gaze while Fitzepatric just looks pleasantly stunned.

"I'm seeing the skills you mentioned, Victor," Fitzepatric says, looking pleased, "to think I was reconsidering giving this job to you."

Nathan grins, looking down at the other papers in front of them, "what are these papers in relation to the necklace?"

"Descriptions, history, all that rubbish. It's all in Latin, however, and hard to decipher," Fitzepatric answers, clearly more open to talking to Nathan now he doesn't think he's some stupid kid.

"Not really, _this necklace acts as a pure pieces of my soul gifted to my daughter at the time of my death_...," Nathan translates, before shaking his head dismissively, "this is irrelevant, pretty much. The necklace is the gift a man gave to his daughter when he died in the hope to protect her as if he was still alive. Pretty interesting but irrelevant."

Fitzepatric looks amused and impressed, sharing a look with Sullivan, before nodding.

"Take it from me, don't underestimate this kid," Sullivan says, smirking at the other man, "now, run through the layout and we'll work out a plan."

Fitzepatric runs through the layout, pointing out exits and entrances and plotting guard patrols. Nathan and Sullivan listen carefully, adding their input when it is needed. By the end of the night, the job is set. Tomorrow night, they're breaking into the museum and snatching the expensive, golden necklace.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want another chapter just say the word and I'll write one. ;)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nathan finally tells Sully about Sam...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight warning: there's a brief flashback to Sully's past that has mention of child abuse just to make you aware. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!
> 
> ~ Flashback  
> * time skip

Nathan hardly sleeps the next night, scribbling away in his notebook like his life depends on it. Sully doesn't sleep much either, concerned about what exactly the kid is drawing or writing that is so important it can't wait till morning. The quiet scratch of the pencil is distracting, pausing every now and then. Sometimes he can feel the teen's gaze on him, maybe making sure he's still asleep, before going back to looking down at his work. He briefly wonders if the kid is worried about the job the next night or whether it's something else.

When the sun rises the next morning, it casts soft light over the hotel room. Sully pushes himself up, rubbing his eyes and briefly wondering when he fell asleep. He glances sideways to the other bed, Nathan is fast asleep, curled up with his notebook clutched tightly in his hands. Sully fleetingly notes how at ease the kid looks, seemingly separated from the worries he carries when he's awake. He looks his age for the first time since Sully's met him. The older man moves as quietly as he can to get out of bed.

The effort seems to be in vain because Nathan's eyes shoot open at the smallest noise Sully makes. He sits bolt upright, eyes searching the room for any danger out of habit. His gaze lands on Sully and he visibly relaxes.

"Relax, kid, it's only me," Sully reassures, calmly, "you're a very light sleeper, boy-o."

Nathan nods, slowly, rubbing his eyes, "have to be, can't afford to be a deep sleeper on the streets."

Sully nods, he can understand that. The street are a dangerous place for an adult to be let alone a kid. Not for the first time, Sully wonders why the teenager is alone. Where are his parents? Or any family member even? Nathan's so young, too young to have no one.

"What are you thinking about?" Nathan questions, head tilted slightly in interest. 

Sully shakes his head, "Nothing, you ready for the job tonight?"

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that," Nathan says, he looks uneasy all of a sudden, worried even, "well, not really that but... Do you know how I said I've not been entirely truthful?"

"Yeah?" Sully answers, encouragingly, hoping Nathan won't pause and cut himself off again all of a sudden.

"I'm not alone....I mean, I am, right now. But I've got family," Nathan explains, his head is tilted down as he talks.

A sinking feeling sets in Sully's stomach, Nathan's got family? Has he inadvertently kidnapped a kid? Goddamnit, he's brought the kid into America for christ sake. Despite this, he feels a loss in a way as well. Nathan had provided him with a partner, a companion that he'd never had before. You never realise how lonely a job has been until you've seen it with someone else. He'd never admit it but, if Nathan left, he'd miss him dearly.

"Goddamnit, kid!" Sully exclaims, wincing when Nathan flinches at the sudden loud voice.

Nathan looks panicked now, "Sully...it's not... My brother, he's in prison, here. He's all the family, I have. I've been alone for months, before I got caught up in the Marlowe business, before I met you."

Sully sighs, relieved, "you were in Columbia, how did you get there?"

"We were there before, had to leave our stuff when we went into America, easier to smuggle yourself that way," Nathan says, messing with the ring that is still hooped on a string round his neck, "Then Sam got put in prison and...and I was alone. Heard about the ring being on display back in Columbia so I came back. It was hard but I managed."

Sully studies the kid, his gaze is on the floor while his hand fiddles with Sir Francis' ring. He feels a swell of pity for the teenager in front of him. No parents to speak of. Brother in prison for god knows what. He's been alone for months even before they met, clearly not living in the best conditions either. The kid's on edge most of the time, keeping himself safe because he's had to do so for so long before. Sully briefly feels proud that the boy has trusted him enough to tell him something so important.

"How old is he? Your brother?" Sully asks, he's concerned to know who this kid is and why exactly he's in prison. People go to prison for a lot of things.

"19-20 next month."

Sully nods, an adult then, "and what's he in for?"

"Theft. They, him and his mate, got caught breaking into someone's house," Nathan answers, his gaze moves quickly from the floor to look at Sully, "he's not a bad person, we had no money and-."

"You don't need to explain to me, kid," Sully soothes, giving the kid a small smile, "will he be in much longer?"

Nathan sighs, "still has nine months left. I'm...sorry I didn't say anything before, it never seemed like the right time," Nathan apologises, getting up off his bed to grab his bag, "should we go through the plan one last time, presuming we're still doing this job tonight?"

"As long as you're not hiding any other relations from me, I don't see why not," Sully answers, moving to grab his clothes for the day, "just give me a second to get dressed and I'll be right with you."

Nathan grins, nodding, "okay and don't worry, you won't have to worry about any other relations. My mum's...dead and my dad, well, he may as well be."

Now that, Sully can understand that, he never had the best relationship with his father either. And that's putting it mildly. Sully's father wasn't the parenting type and his mother...well...he doesn't even know who that even was. He spent most of his life avoiding even the concept of starting a family, never thought he was the parenting type either. Kids, well, they get in the way, tie you down. That's never been how Sully wanted to live.

 

~~~~

 

_A bottle smashing from downstairs make Victor jerk awake suddenly. His father's back and, by the sound of it, just as drunk as any other night. His rolls his eyes, wriggling around on the hard mattress to try and get comfortable again. His efforts don't amount to anything as there's a loud shout and another smash of glass, wiping him of all pull of sleep. He sets his feet on the cold wooden floor, pushing himself up._

_Creeping downstairs, he peers around the doorframe into the tiny kitchen area. His father is there, his long thin fingers rapped around the neck of a half-empty whisky bottle, by the sway of his body Victor is left in no doubt that he'd been the one to drink the missing alcohol._

_"Victor!" His father's gruff voice demands, "what do you think you're doing down here?"_

_"Nothing," Victor answers, moving from behind the doorframe considering there's no point of hiding when he's already been seen._

_His father lets out a humorless laugh, "never do as your told. Jackson-Jackson, he says it's your age-teenagers are always rebellious he says. Nah, you're just an ungrateful, worthless son-of-a-bitch."_

_Victor shakes his head at his drunk father, he's seen this time and time again. Actually he's not sure he can pin point a time when he's spoken to his father without alcohol involved. Must have been years ago, the eighteen-year-old muses. Despite how often insult have been thrown his way (sometimes along with punches), it never ceases to hurt._

_"Kids always get in the way, they tie you down," his father continues, stumbling around the room as if in search of something, "your life isn't your own anymore..."_

_Victor grits his teeth, fists clenched at his sides. He's sick of this, sick of seeing his father drunk every moment of everyday, sick of insults, sick of this stupid, goddamn house. His nerve snaps, kicking one of the wooden chairs at the kitchen table so hard he hears a crack from the wood splitting in half. It silences his father's rant, but he doesn't notice, turning tail and running up the stair two at a time._

_He's breathing hard, anger mixed with adrenaline pumping through his veins. He grabs a duffle-bag from atop his wardrobe and stuffs all his essential items inside of it, not even pausing once to think about what he's doing. He just needs to leave, to get out right now._

_Slinging the bag over his shoulder, Victor races out of the door, steadfast ignoring his father's yells of his name. He'll have to kip at his friend's house for a while, maybe take them up on their idea of looking into joining the navy. Anything, anything to get away from this place_.

 

~~~~

 

Or maybe he's had it wrong for his entire life.

He offers Nathan a small sympathetic smile, making sure to show no pity. Nathan doesn't want pity or anyone feeling sorry for him, he just wants to get his point across to Sully that there's nothing else that is in much need of mentioning.

Sully gets changed in the bathroom, taking his time to think over the new revelations. Nathan has a brother? An older brother? It's daunting to think about. Nathan, while he's usually quiet and reserved, has a temper. It's rarely shown, usually only when he feels backed into a corner. His older brother would likely react the same if he thinks Nathan is in any kind of danger and hanging around with a middle-aged man doesn't look good on his side. At all.

Sully sighs, they'll cross that bridge when they come to it. He splashes some cold water on his face before rubbing it with a towel and looking at himself in the mirror. What has he got himself into?

"I know you're old and can't get changed as quick as you use to or whatever but can't you hurry up a bit? I'm falling asleep waiting," Nathan's voice calls out to him, the rarely unveiled youthful humor raising its head again.

Sully shakes his head, maybe everything isn't as bad as it seems. He's certainly not tired of the teenagers company, quite the opposite. He decides to let sleeping dogs lie and take the future as it comes. His time with Nathan might be running thin.

"Enough of the old, kid," Sully complains, exiting the bathroom finally, "we've got all day, you know?"

Nathan rolls his eyes, motioning to the maps in front of him, "last night, while you were getting your much needed beauty sleep, I was working out a new plan. Our previous one would have worked, but there were some unnecessary risks. This-" he points at a second floor window on the plan sheet, "-would be a better entrance. It requires a climb but hear me out..."

Sully sits on the bed beside him, thankful when the teen doesn't show any signs of discomfort or fear, listening to him intently, "I'm listening."

Believe it or not, a robbery takes a lot more planning then many people would think. It's almost midday when they are finally finished, Nathan having shown his exactly what the new and improved plan entails. Sully won't lie, he's very impressed by the boy's planning skills despite his impulsive nature. Nathan seems more comfortable with this plan than the other.

 

****

 

Nathan can't sit still, he's looking forward to the break in tonight. His mentor keeps telling him to calm down, but he can tell he feels just as excited. He feels better now he's told Sully (Sullivan seems too formal to call him now, they are officially friends) about Sam, as though an invisible weight has been lifted off his shoulders. It felt wrong 'lying' to the older man. Trust works both ways, you need to learn trust to allow other to trust you. And this Sully seems trust worthy enough.

Sully's a mystery to Nathan, he can't seem to work him out. Most men he's met or even worked with have some sort of ulterior motive, scratch that everyone he's worked with has, but he can't work out Sully's. He claims that he doesn't want anything from him, that he never saved him for what he can get out of it. Nathan feels inclined to disagree, no one does _ANYTHING_ for nothing in this world.

"You 'kay, kid?" Sully asks, eyebrows furrowed in concern, "you look like you're in your own world."

Nathan shakes his head, "yeah, no, sorry. Just thinking."

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Nathan huffs out a laugh, "it's nothing. How long till we need to go?"

Sully chuckles, checking his watch, "you're eager, aren't you? Not long now, around an hour, maybe."

"We have to sit in this car for another hour?" Nathan complains, playing with the ring subconsciously, "here, hold still. I'm going to draw you."

Sully gives him an odd look before shaking his head and doing what he's told. Nathan smirks, turning to a clean page and moving his pencil against it. He's only ever drawn people passing by before, never had the chance to draw someone who's willing. Sam thinks it's stupid, not in a insulting or confidence-knocking way, it just isn't his thing. Nathan knows him drawing reminds his brother of their mom and that's a good thing, Sam has said so himself.

Focusing back on his drawing, he glances back up at Sully critically then back down at the paper, his original plan of drawing a funny picture thrown out the window. He's got a good drawing face, not too much extra details that can overcomplicate it. It doesn't take him long to finish, drawing the older man's massive moustache in last before offering the picture to Sully.

He huffs out a laugh, giving the notebook back to Nathan, "the offer of an artistic job still stands. You've got talent, kid."

"I've heard that before," Nathan grins, proudly, being praised is something he's not very use to yet, "time?"

Sully looks at his watch then back at him with a sly smirk on his face, "mission is a go."

Nathan grins back, following suit when Sully exits the car. He loves the thrill of adventures, accompanied with the feeling of freedom. Granted, maybe robbing a museum isn't an adventure, but it gives Nathan that same thrill. Filled with danger and mystery. It's probably not something a teenager should crave, but he does.

The plan goes almost perfectly, they easily get in and out without being seen once. The only problem was that the cabinet didn't open as planned so Sully spent more time than is safe trying to pick the lock. He does it, in the end. Leaving them to grab the necklace carefully, wrap it in a cloth and store it safely in Nathan's bag before getting out as quick as possible.

"Good job done, boy-o," Sully states, grinning down at him, a cigar between his lips, "a goddamn good job."

Nathan laughs, shaking his head at his mentor, and looking up at the beautiful sunrise above them, "you can say that again, Sully."

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. Comments and Kudos are always welcome. I was planning on continuing this if people enjoy it. Please comment if you want another chapter!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own these characters (that credit goes directly to naughty dog alone), but the story is all mine.


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